Bucket-list travel: On my Antarctica cruise, nature overshadowed the history of Shackleton’s epic journey | Canada Voices

In Antarctica, the word “surreal” comes to mind endlessly. Gentoo penguins leap out of the water as I board a Zodiac next to my expedition ship. Brilliant morning sunshine glints off the snowy mountains of Elephant Island as we motor through metre-high waves to land on the southern shore beneath the Endurance Glacier. More jaw-dropping sights await.

Elephant Island lies in the South Shetland Islands 245 kilometres from the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. It’s where Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton and his 27-man crew arrived in lifeboats in 1916. I can’t quite believe I’ve landed here and am about to explore on foot.

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I’m on a 20-day polar cruise operated by Aurora Expeditions. We departed on the MV Sylvia Earle from Ushuaia, Argentina, in November to retrace Shackleton’s epic journey of survival. His bid to complete the first overland crossing of Antarctica ended when his ship, Endurance, was crushed by ice in the Weddell Sea, east of the Antarctic Peninsula. Shackleton and his men braved the elements and ultimately got home, providing endless fodder for both historians and motivational speakers.

The annals of history, however, can get overshadowed by the marvels of nature when you are actually here.

Monstrous elephant seals resembling bratwurst on steroids loll on the beach along with Antarctic fur seals. Their burping and barking offers extra incentive to stay 10 metres away, as our guide instructs. Ship naturalist Vicky Inglis points out a male elephant seal who weighs an estimated 2,000 kilograms: “That’s about the size of a Land Rover.”

Comparisons to Jurassic Park and Star Wars creatures are similarly unavoidable. As I wander around the rocky beach, it feels like I’m exploring another planet. The feeling of exhilaration among my fellow travellers in the ultrafresh, chilly air is palpable.

Everyone has their own quirky motivations for taking a once-in-a-lifetime trip somewhere as remote as Antarctica. In my case, my paternal grandfather in Montreal had his portrait sketched by artist Kathleen Shackleton – Ernest’s sister – in 1931. And my maternal grandfather in Finland collected books about maritime adventures, from the 1789 mutiny on the Bounty to Thor Heyerdahl’s 1947 Kon-Tiki raft voyage from Peru to Polynesia. Evidently these hero’s-quest vibes rubbed off on me.

However, when we reboard the Sylvia Earle after that Elephant Island landing, it’s amusingly apparent just how remote the luxurious experience on board is from Shackleton’s odyssey. His pre-expedition newspaper ad proved prophetic: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.”

Instead of bitter cold, I enjoy a hot shower in my comfortable cabin before lunching at the Gentoo Restaurant. Buffet options include a carving station with roast chicken, sauvignon-blanc-steamed mussels and beetroot bourguignon. (Tastier, I expect, than the penguin liver and seal on which the stranded Shackleton subsisted.) Afterward, I browse through books such as Alfred Lansing’s 1959 classic Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage in the spacious library.

My good fortune continues that afternoon when we visit Point Wild on Elephant Island’s north coast. Named after Frank Wild, Shackleton’s second-in-command, it’s where 22 seamen awaited rescue while Shackleton and five others undertook a perilous 17-day, 1,300-km trip to South Georgia in the James Caird lifeboat.

Point Wild is a jagged mass of rock and sand surrounded by rough waters, hardly an ideal camping spot. But we’re lucky to be here. “I’ve come to Point Wild about 30 times and only twice have guests been able to land,” notes expedition leader Ashley Perrin.

Clambering out of the Zodiac in boot-high waters, I gaze at a bronze bust of the navy pilot Luis Pardo, who brought the Chilean ship Yelcho here in August, 1916, to complete the rescue mission. Chinstrap penguins stand before the bust like awkward supplicants at a shrine, as a sunset glow illuminates the surrounding fog.

It’s a highlight near the midpoint of my polar odyssey – but just one of many.

I’ve already stood 176 metres above the ocean floor on rock-solid ice surrounding our ship near the Naze, a land spit on James Ross Island. After departing Point Wild, en route to South Georgia, we encounter another gargantuan icy marvel: the A-77 tabular iceberg, which calved from the Princess Martha Coast in 2021. It spans close to 300 square kilometres, evoking the white cliffs of Dover and the Great Wall of China.

I’m constantly aware of how easy my existence is compared with Shackleton’s. When I’m not working out at the ship’s well-equipped gym or relaxing in the sauna, I’m sipping fancy coffees at expert lectures about seabirds or Shackleton’s rivals. (Never mind the wine-paired dinners.)

While it’s tough to avoid queasiness on the voyage-opening, two-day Drake Passage crossing to Antarctica, the Sylvia Earle’s stabilizers and inverted bow – a design that slices through massive swells – create a much smoother ride than was possible a century ago.

Still, the potential pitfalls of easier access and increasing cruise travel to this fragile region become visible when we arrive in South Georgia.

It’s a clear morning with calm conditions at Peggotty Bluff as I enjoy a guided group kayak outing amid lush kelp forests. Giant petrels flap their wings while appearing to walk over the water and fur seals lunge about and bark on the shore with terrier-like glee. Yet I also soberingly spot elephant seal corpses – victims of avian flu, which reached South Georgia in 2023.

Although scientists believe migratory birds from South America introduced the disease, biosecurity vigilance is vital to minimize the spread. Aurora Expeditions follows rigorous protocols throughout the entire journey to achieve this, from bans on putting bags down on shore to boot-washing and disinfection stations upon returning to the ship.

When we cluster around Shackleton’s grave for a toast in Grytviken – a Norwegian whaling station in South Georgia that closed 60 years ago – I muse about how travel changes your perspective. It’s enticing to come down here to indulge your fantasies about Shackleton-like heroism. But it’s natural to head homeward with a deepened appreciation of the Southern Ocean’s surreal abundance of wildlife and a desire to advocate for its preservation.

If you go

Aurora Expeditions offers its next In Shackleton’s Footsteps itinerary Nov. 8-27, 2026. Cabins start at roughly $60,000 for two people.

To get through the infamous Drake Passage with minimal sea sickness, start taking anti-nausea remedies, such as Gravol and ginger tablets, before you enter it. Wearing a scopolamine patch can help fight nausea from the “Drake Shake.” Lie flat on your bed and close your eyes if things feel overwhelming. Light meals, water and fresh air (when possible) are beneficial.

Special to The Globe and Mail

The writer was a guest of Aurora Expeditions, which did not review or approve this article. Stories are based on merit; The Globe does not guarantee coverage.